5 ways to Introduce Your Child to God

Like most decent parents, we all want to see our children succeed in life. Because of this, we make sure to focus on teachings that will give our kids a good start in life; things like ABC’s and 123’s, “please” and “thank you”, eating their veggies and drinking milk to grow strong. But what are we teaching them when it comes to spiritual growth? Sometimes I think we put this responsibility off on the church leaving it to do all the teaching about God to our children. But the church isn’t the only place our children should learn about God. It starts in the home. God should not be a foreign concept to them before they step foot inside of a church. Here are five practical ways you can practice sharing God with your children.

1. Saying Grace

Teach your child the importance of thanking God for the food He has provided. A simple song or a short verse makes it easy for your child to remember what to say when it’s time to bless their food. My son has a song he sings or a verse he says when he says grace. His song goes (in a Frère Jacques sing-song tune): “Thank you, Lord, Thank you, Lord, for our food, for our food. Many many blessings, many many blessings, Amen, Amen.” His other prayer is short and sweet: “God is love, Amen.”

2. Nighttime/Morning Prayers

At night, if my son hasn’t fallen asleep before me, I get him in the habit of saying his prayers. This is the prayer he says “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I awake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen.” After we pray this, I usually have him repeat after me a general prayer giving thanks to God for his protection and provision and asking for His guidance to do His will for our lives. It’s a nice bonding moment between us all before bedtime. I always get a big hug afterward, which puts a smile on my face right before bed.

3. Asking Questions About God

I have recently started asking my son who God is. It’s important to see where your child is in their knowledge of God and it’s a good way to start a conversation. When I first asked my son, “Who is God?” he replied, “I don’t know”. Even though he goes to church and does activities he still apparently did not grasp the concept of God, at least in a sense that he could it explain it. So, I kept it simple and told him that God is the creator and He created everything. Then, I asked him again, “Who is God?” and excitedly he responded “The Creator!” and then I asked, “What did He create?” “EVERYTHING!” he yelled. Now we are learning about who Jesus is and what He did for us. Simple conversations like this open doors for communication about God in a safe and non-intimidating way.

4. Reading About God

I recently purchased a book on Amazon that I had heard advertised on my local Christian radio station entitled The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. This book has awesome reviews and even adults say that they have learned some new things from reading this book to their children. I am eager to receive this book and start reading this to my son!

5. Coloring Books

At the church that I attend, the teachers provide pages for the children to color that are biblically based. These pages can be downloaded from coloringhome.com for free. All you need to do is search for keywords such as Bible, church, Jesus, or any other biblical terms and you will be taken to a page with different downloadable images to print and color. Just another way to start a conversation about God that is fun and simple.

I hope these tips are able to help you as you begin to share God with your children.

Some things to remember as you start sharing God with your child: Talking about God with your child doesn’t have to be hard. Don’t expect your child to understand everything you tell them about God, and most importantly, make it fun! As your child grows, their capacity to pay attention and understand will grow and hopefully their curiosity about Him too. Be patient and know that God will make Himself known to your child in His own way.

What are some things you do to start the God conversation with your child(ren)?